Government and public sector
For municipal agencies, public institutions, and the leaders responsible for organizational accountability and public service. Dr. Starks has trained new city employees, city leaders, social services staff, a police department, and public-sector HR professionals.
What the work addresses
A public agency serves everyone, so the way its staff see the people in front of them shows up in every service it delivers. Dr. Starks works with public employers on that people side of the work: how staff see residents and each other, how bias shows up in ordinary decisions about hiring, discipline, and service, and what accountability looks like inside a public institution.
The sessions start with the four constructs and a self-reflection every participant completes, then turn to the agency's own workplace and the community it serves.
"Service deserves more than a good heart. It deserves a level of expertise."
Dr. Brian Chad StarksHis work with public agencies
Most of it for the City of Lynchburg, Virginia, where he ran new employee training from 2016 to 2018.
- 2017 to 2018I Know I Can Institute, Lynchburg
Founded in partnership with the City of Lynchburg to give high school students from low-income families educational opportunities, life skills, college preparation, job readiness, cultural experiences, and summer jobs.
- 2016 to 2018City of Lynchburg, Virginia
New employee orientation training, "Preparing for Workplace Success: Ethics, Diversity and Organizational Values."
- October 2017City of Lynchburg, Human Resources
"Having Difficult Conversations with Employees."
- March 2017International Public Management Association for Human Resources, Virginia
State conference keynote, "Disrupting Implicit Bias and Our Perceptual Lens," and the workshop "Let's Talk! Examining Implicit Bias: Best Practices for HR Professionals."
- October 2016City of Lynchburg, Department of Social Services
Retreat keynote, "Implicit Bias and the Workplace."
- May 2016Lynchburg Police Department
Diversity and implicit bias training, "Better Police Practices, Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace," for about 170 law enforcement officers, the entire department. More of his criminal justice work.
- March 2016Groom & Bloom Program, City of Lynchburg
"Colorblindness in a Post-Racial Society?: Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace," for about 15 program participants.
- February 2016City of Lynchburg, Human Resources Office
Implicit bias training and debriefing, "Best Practices for Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace," for about 50 city leaders.
- October 2015Mayor's Task Force on Gang Violence, City of Portland, Oregon
Community presentation on gang violence and related social issues.
- 2015U.S. Department of Justice
Peer reviewer for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs.
Organizations he has worked with
- City of Lynchburg, Virginia
- South Carolina Department of Public Safety
- State of Delaware Department of Probation
- International Public Management Association for Human Resources
His work with these organizations includes consulting, speaking, training, academic and staff positions, leadership roles, research collaborations, and community service. A name on this list is not an endorsement.
How public agencies work with him
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Training for staff and leaders
Orientation, supervisors, leadership teamsSessions built on the four constructs for new employees, supervisors, HR offices, and department leadership, shaped to the agency and the community it serves.
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Keynotes
Retreats, all-staff days, conferencesFor department retreats and public-sector conferences, the way he spoke for Lynchburg's Department of Social Services and the Virginia chapter of IPMA-HR.
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Consulting and implementation
The agency's own practices and dataWorking with leadership on the agency's own data, policies, and practices, the way he worked with Lynchburg City Schools on its discipline data.
One Framework, applied to public service
Every engagement is built on the Be The Messenger Framework: four constructs, and the Messenger Method that runs underneath them. The Framework stays the same from one field to the next. What changes is how it is applied to the specific challenges, culture, professional responsibilities, and institutional conditions of the people in the room.
- IdentityWho you are
- CultureWhere you come from
- DiversityWhat connects us
- RespectHow you show up
The Messenger Method: Self-Reflection, Self-Awareness, and Self-Consciousness.
Request a proposal
Tell us about the agency, who would be in the room, and when. We will come back with a shape for the engagement.
- Your request goes to Dr. Starks' office.
- We reply with availability and set up a short call to shape the engagement.
- You get a proposal, a W-9, and anything else your procurement office needs.
Rather talk first? Book a training consultation or a keynote and speaking call.
Prefer email or phone? info@brianchadstarks.com or 434-329-9002.